Heat exchange apparatus



15, 1933- P. T. KRATZMAIER 1,922,443

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Feb. 29, 1932 Fig 3 2i INVENTOR PAUL. T. KEATZMAIEQ BYZ ATTORNEY patented Aug. 15, 1933 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Paul T. Kratzmaier, Kansas City, Kans. Application February 29, 1932. Serial No. 595,731 3 Claims. (01. 257-242) The present invention relates to heat transfer equipment, and aims to provide a simple, unique and compact construction of an inexpensive character, and yet highly efficient for heat exchange purposes.

Accordingly, oneof the principal objects of the invention is to devise an improved apparatus of this character in which the heat transferring function is effected by a counterfiow of the mediums between which the exchange of heat is to take place, and in which the flow movement of one of said mediums may be effected either by a force feed action or by gravity, while at the same time requiring a minimum of space for the installation of the apparatus.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide apparatus in which the rate of heat exchange may be suitably modified within certain limits by appropriately adjusting the units of the construction for producing corresponding changes in the rate of flow of one of the heat exchange mediums. In this connection, the invention further contemplates means for variation in the capacity of the apparatus, by providing for either the removal or addition'of certain units of the construction, with corresponding variation in the extent of the heat transferring surfaces involved in the construction, which is done without any alteration in the extent of the floor area required for accommodating the apparatus.

As one suitable form for embodiment of the construction, there is provided an assembly of helical pipe coils arranged in an upright series, together with a set of trough or housing units adapted to be assembled in a series following the same general course as the coil series and provided with a supporting structure for not only maintaining the housing units in this relation but also permitting appropriate vertical adjust ment of the assembly for accommodating corre sponding variation of the pitch or slope of both the housing and pipe coils as required for the aforesaid adjustment of the rate of flow of the.

. heat transfer mediums therethrough.

With these general objects in view, therefore, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a typical example of the construction, in the form just referred to, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel will be particularly'set forth and. claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, and representing a heat exchange apparatus constructed in accordance with the present intrough units 4 of relatively thin gauge metal adapted to permit a certain amount of bending or distortion of the sections, each of which is of substantiallysemi-circular and slightly helical form to permit the assembly of a plurality of the units in the form of a continuous helical trough providing for the continuous flow of a suitable liquid medium from top to bottom of the assembly, when arranged in upright position as shown in Figures '1 and 2. For securing the trough sections in such a relation, the opposite ends of each, section are formed with flanges 5 having bolt openings 6 for suitable bolts '7, whereby the meeting flanges of adjoining sections are firmly secured together, as represented in Figure 1.

For supporting the trough structure in this position, I provide an upright column 8 having a footpiece 9 bolted (as indicated at 10) to a suit able bed plate 11 having suitable anchor bolts 12 for securely fastening said plate 11 in fixed position upon a flooring, such as a concrete or other form of foundation 14 as represented in Figure 2. At intervals, the upright rod 8 is provided with bolt openings 15 for the passage of bolts or pins 16 used for adjustably securing a set of laterally extending arms 17, the outer ends of which thus serve as supports engaging beneath the several pan or trough units, as clearly represented in Figure 3, and the series of openings 15 providing the necessary means of adjustment of the arms 17 to different elevations.

The pan or trough structure thus provides the necessary conduit for the travel of one of the heat exchange mediums, such as a liquid flowing under the action of gravity, as said liquid is supplied to the top unit of the trough structure; and for the flow of the other heat exchange medium, there is provided a coil pipe structure,

comprising a series of pipes 20, of relatively small diameter, and sufficiently flexible to permit flexing or distortion to the same extent as provided for the trough structure as above referred to, for which purpose the pipes 20 may be of either copper or a relatively thin gauge-steel composition or other material, according to the requirements of the liquid (or gas) to be conducted therethrough; Atthe opposite ends of the coil series are provided suitable header members 21 having pipe connections 22 for the inlet and outlet connections, whereby the heat exchange medium is supplied to the coils 20.

It is thus apparent. that a practical and emcient heat exchange apparatus is provided which is adapted for any of the uses to which this character of equipment is put in any or" the common types of commercial plants, such as laundries, dairies for the heating or cooling of milk, many types of chemical plants, etc. where one medium is passed in a counterfiow relation to another medium for eiiecting the required transfer of heat. For example, in a laundry plant, where it is desired to reclaim heat which would otherwisebe lost in the waste hot wash water, provision is made for utilizing such water as one of the liquid transfer mediums by discharging it into the upper end I of the trough structure-4, while the clean water which is to be heated is admitted to the header 21 through its pipe connection 22 at the lower end or" the pipe coils 20. Thus a counterflow movement of the two liquid mediums is'produced, with the heat transfer action taking place between them as they pass through their respective courses in opposite directions.

If desiredto vary the rate of movement, say of the Water flowing down the trough structure, this is effected by changing the adjustment of the arms 17 supporting the troughs 4, by either raising or lowering said arms, and correspondingly varying the pitch or slope oi'the trough structure, in which connection it will be under stood that the character of material compri ing the pipe coils 20 will admit of a correspond ing change in the pitch of the pipe coils to correspond with that given to the troughs 4.

A simple and inexpensive construction is thus provided for the embodiment of the present improvement, which obviously forms an apparatus of compact construction requiring but small floor area for its installation, and without any increase of floor space being required-for varying the size and capacity of the installation, which is merely added to by increasing its height by the necessary number of coil units.

It is furthermore obvious that. an equipment 01" this character can be readily installed in an out of the way position, and if desired placed in a pit or underground relation, without affecting it operating efliciency.

While one practical and effieient form of embodiment of the construction has been herein described, it is apparent that changes may be made in minor respects without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I therefore-desire to be understood as reserving the right to make whatever changes or modifications may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent' is:

1. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a helical coil structure, a housing following the convolutions of said coil structure, said housing and coil structure being of materials sufficiently flexible for permitting the expansion or contraction of the combined assembly for varying the pitch or slope of said convolutions, and supporting means for maintaining said combined assembly in upright position and including means of adjustment to accommodate the changes in the pitch or'slope of the assembly.

2. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a helical coil structure, a housing comprising a series of substantially semicircular housing sections having means for securing the same together in continuous helical form following the convoluticns of said coil structure, said housing and coil structure being of materials sufficiently flexible for permitting the expansion or con-- traction of the combined assembly for varying the pitch or slope of said convolutions, and means'for supporting said combined assembly in upright position, having means of adjustment to accommodate changes in the pitch or slope of the assembly.

' 3. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a helical coil structure, a housing following the convolutions of said coil structure, said housing and coil structure being of materials permitting the expansion or contraction of the combined assembly for varying the pitch or slope of said convolutions, and an upright column member provided with adjustable arms adapted to be secured at varying elevations to accommodate changes in the pitch or slope of the assembly.

PAUL T. KRATZMAIER. 

